ML614031728

觀察細節

Lone female mixed in with 1 to 3 other Common Goldeneyes. First noticed from the parking lot, about as far as I could scope but noticed its bill was entirely light/creamy in color (compared to a dark bill with just a light tip as in the Commons). Walked the entire berm to get as close as possible, and in doing so the birds remained at a distance, but close enough to ascertain the lighter color of the bill. Rough phone-scoped photos obtained, and my group may have gotten more definitive shots with their camera. I will add what I can! Edit: attaching photo—between distance, misty conditions, and back-of-camera image, this isn’t ideal but hopefully reveals the light colored bill (looked more yellow-orange in person) and steep-angled forehead typical of a Barrow’s. Edit # 2: In receipt of another photo (attached), in which the female goldeneye is a little closer than in the first-submitted photo. The photo is still blurry, but here, the mostly yellowish bill is (in my opinion) clearly more than just on the tip (as could be seen in the Common), and the forehead arises steeply from the bill, vs. at a slant of a Common. The peak of its crown is above the eye, providing a more pointed look to its head than that of a Common. This female was associating with a few male Commons distinctly outside an otherwise mass congregation of Goldeneye, lending some interest to why this one female also happened to look slightly different from the rest. Only behavior observed was swimming and brief diving; no vocalizations noted. Habitat is open fresh water (St. Croix River). Color patterns were hard to discern at such distance--i.e. slight distinctions between shade of head color. I read Sibley's in-depth comparison of female Goldeneyes, in which it is stated that, while female Common Goldeneyes in Minnesota (which may also apply to the border-sharing river here) with mostly-yellow bills do exist, they are likely only one in several thousand. To avoid the stress of trying to "make" this one into a Barrow's after the fact (like now!), I was scanning the flock repeatedly to try to find even one other female that looked quite like this one, and failed to do so. Nonetheless, I realize the photos are poor and may not suggest Barrow's well enough to accept.